Aside from the occasional cozy, curl-up by the fire evening, winter in Whistler is normally defined by racing to the lifts, racing down the hill and racing to après. I love each of these qualities, after all, they make Whistler what it is: the multi-award winning, world-famous winter wonderland that just so happens to be in Vancouver's backyard. But I recently discovered a slower-paced Whistler.

It seems like there are 3 kinds of Whistler enthusiasts:
a) the wake up early and go to bed late, do everything visitors
b) the I'll take my time doing the things I love visitors
c) the I'm just there for the scene visitors
I think I'm 55% A, 40% B and 5% C.

On weekends, I normally indulge in fast-paced Whistler: attempted first tracks, ski/board your brains off pre-crowds, hot tub, eat and repeat. But over New Years, I discovered a slower-paced Whistler full of sleep-ins, late-morning snowshoeing, naps, nice dinners out and cross-country skiing. Over the holidays, this Whistler provided the perfect balance of exercise, peaceful treks into the snowy hills and great times dining out with friends. Although I was kicking myself for not doing figure 8s with friends down the top of Blackcomb and basking in the above-the-trees bluebird-day sun, there's something to be said for a little R+R amid the activity.

For me, this came in the form of some incredible snowshoeing experiences (thanks to a tip from friends) and my first foray back into cross-country skiing in 17ish years. During one of the busiest holiday seasons at Whistler in a long time, the sheer breadth and depth of terrain made both these experiences peaceful versus the holiday and weekend congestion I'm used to on the downhill slopes.

Next time you head to Whistler in winter, take a cue from the slow cooking movement and don't forget to take time to relax a little and discover the peace of a slower-paced approach.

PS - Slower-paced Whistler also happens to be less expensive. Snowshoeing at Lost Lake and the Callaghan Valley costs between $8 - $10 and cross-country skiing is $20 (not including rentals).

PPS - Spending an afternoon or apres-ing at the girl-and-guy-friendly-outdoor-fire crackling-sauna-steam-and-hot-and-cold-pool-plunging Scandinave Spa is also another way to live a slower-paced Whistler. See pics and details here.

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